Chladni figuren(Physics)a pattern formed by fine powder placed on a vibrating surface, used to display the positions of nodes and antinodes(C19: named after Ernst Chladni (1756--1827), German physicist)

Escher figurenanother name for→
impossible figure(named after M. C. Escher (1898--1970), Dutch graphic artist who produced many such drawings)

figure-ground phenomenonnthe division of the perceptual field into background and objects that appear to stand out against it. The concept was evolved by the Gestalt psychologists, who invented ambiguous figures in which the same part could be seen either as figure or ground

figure of eight, figure eightn

1an outline of the number 8 traced on ice by a skater

2a flight manoeuvre by an aircraft outlining a figure 8

3

aa knot in the shape of a figure 8 made to prevent the unreeving of a rope

ba climber's knot in the shape of a figure 8 made with a doubled rope to provide a secure loop

can angler's knot sometimes used to attach a fly to a leader or dropper

figure of meritn

1(Aeronautics)a measure of the efficiency of a helicopter in hover

2(Electrical engineering)a measure of the efficiency of a component, such as a circuit

figure of speechnan expression of language, such as simile, metaphor, or personification, by which the usual or literal meaning of a word is not employed

impossible figurena picture of an object that at first sight looks three-dimensional but cannot be a two-dimensional projection of a real three-dimensional object, for example a picture of a staircase that re-enters itself while appearing to ascend continuously,(Also called)
Escher figure

lay figuren

1an artist's jointed dummy, used in place of a live model, esp. for studying effects of drapery

2a person considered to be subservient or unimportant(C18: from obsolete layman, from Dutch leeman, literally: joint-man)

Lissajous figurena curve traced out by a point that undergoes two simple harmonic motions in mutually perpendicular directions. The shape of these curves is characteristic of the relative phases and frequencies of the motion; they are used to determine the frequencies and phases of alternating voltages(C19: named after Jules A. Lissajous (1822--80), French physicist)

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